Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities

Founded in 2008 and housed in a LEED-certified Southern Living Showcase Home, the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities (formerly the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability) is an academic hub that promotes interdisciplinary research and teaching in support of sustainability on campus and in the greater community. The Institute offers a wide variety of faculty and student opportunities and programs designed to infuse sustainability across the curriculum and bring together students, educators, and community leaders to address real-world sustainability challenges and generate scalable solutions. The Institute also oversees the university’s sustainability assessments including our greenhouse gas inventory and STARS reporting. Over the last decade, Furman has won numerous national awards in recognition of its sustainability efforts and reputation including:

• 2016 National Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by the Association for the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE),
• 2020 US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Post-secondary Sustainability Recipient,
• 2019 Carolinas Green Building Council’s Community Change Agent Award,
• One of 14 national sustainability centers to host workshops for “Teaching Sustainability Across the Curriculum” through AASHE
• Gold STARS rating for campus sustainability, one of only four liberal arts institutions in the Southeastern U.S. to do so.

Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities Homepage

For more information about the Shi Institute, contact us at sustainability@furman.edu.